Atlantic mackerel

Also known as Scomber scombrus, Boston mackerel, Norwegian mackerel, Scottish mackerel, mackerel

species of fish

AI overview

Atlantic mackerel is a fast-swimming fish species found in the Atlantic Ocean that is widely caught and eaten by people around the world. It matters because it is an important food source and commercial fishery, though populations need to be carefully managed to ensure they don't become overfished.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

Atlantic mackerel

Species

PhylumChordata
ClassTeleostei
OrderScombriformes
FamilyScombridae

Habitatmarine, brackish

Most people are familiar with mackerel from the fish store, and particularly as a smoked fish. Live mackerel are rapid predator fish and eat mainly zooplankton. In the summer months, they swim in large schools in the upper water column, hunting copepods, fish larvae and other such organisms. After spawning in the summer, they also hunt herring, sprat and lesser sandeel, bringing them closer to the coast. There have been reports of schools of mackerel 9 by 4 kilometers in size and 40 meters deep.

via IUCN

Wikidata facts

Image: Scomber scombrus.jpg

Show 5 more facts

taxon name: Scomber scombrus
Commons category: Scomber scombrus
Commons gallery: Scomber scombrus
taxon common name: skuša
short name: S. scombrus

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~13 min read

Article

The Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), also known as Boston mackerel, Norwegian mackerel, Scottish mackerel or just mackerel, is a species of mackerel found in the temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the northern Atlantic Ocean, where it is extremely common and occurs in huge shoals in the epipelagic zone down to about 200 m (660 ft). It spends the warmer months close to shore and near the ocean surface, appearing along the coast in spring and departing with the arrival of colder weather in the fall and winter months. During the fall and winter, it migrates out into deeper and more southern water, seeking warmer temperatures.

The Atlantic mackerel's body is elongate, steel-blue marked with wavy black lines dorsally and silvery-white ventrally, its snout long and pointed. It possesses two spiny dorsal fins, which are spaced far apart, two pectoral fins, and small caudal and anal fins, also spaced far apart. 4–6 dorsal finlets and 5 anal finlets are typical among members of this species. The fish's body tapers down its length, ending with a large tail fin. Typical size for a mature fish is 30 cm (0.98 ft), but individuals have been caught as large as 60 cm (2.0 ft). The maximum published weight is 3.4 kg (7.5 lb). Reproduction, which is oviparous, occurs near the shore in the spring and summer, during which a female can produce as many as 450,000 eggs. Juveniles reach sexual maturity at around 2 years of age and can live to be 17.